The Steven Smith Question

[TheJediBrah]

I wish he was a bit more selfish with his batting style and just played for not outs (a la Steve Waugh, dare I say it). He'd be averaging 70+ for sure.

S.Waugh would just chill at the other end and wait for the tailenders to get bowled and then be happy with his not out. Smith slogs like a maniac and throws his wicket away.

 

[OverratedSanity]

til 58 = 60

No. But 59.41 is close enough to 60.

Tendulkar from 1993-2011: 157 tests, 13607 runs @ 59.41, 47 hundreds

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

 

[TheJediBrah]

157 Tests? Pretty small purple patch tbh

 

[OverratedSanity]

Pretty sure Sobers averaged 75 over a full decades cricket or something crazy like that too. Smith is putting everyone to shame though. Wouldn't put it past him to get 60+ tons.

 

[CricAddict]

Some greatest of greats being mentioned here. Virat Kohli still has potential to get into this conversation too.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I have the unpopular opinion that Kohli's prime, unlike Smith's actually has ended.

 

[Starfighter]

I have the unpopular opinion that Kohli's prime, unlike Smith's actually has ended.

How will we tell? He was pretty darn good in England, even if not so much against Australia. A few more series against Sri Lanka will keep his average up anyway.

 

[vcs]

All of the Fab 4 have at least 4-5 good years left. Root and Kane are a little younger so they may last even longer.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I wish he was a bit more selfish with his batting style and just played for not outs (a la Steve Waugh, dare I say it). He'd be averaging 70+ for sure.

S.Waugh would just chill at the other end and wait for the tailenders to get bowled and then be happy with his not out. Smith slogs like a maniac and throws his wicket away.

Yeah, Gichrist and Prior used to do the same and they'd both average more had they done a Waugh or Kallis. The mad thing is Smith looks better giving it the long handle in a test match than he does in ODI's.

 

[TheJediBrah]

All of the Fab 4 have at least 4-5 good years left. Root and Kane are a little younger so they may last even longer.

It doesn't work that easily. You can't just look at their age and say "they will all be exactly this good for this amount of years". One of them might decline rapidly within a year, one might dominate for another 10. People aren't robots.

 

[StephenZA]

It absolutely was, relatively speaking. Much less than Warner and Bancroft, or Faf & Chandimal. A years ban and the destruction of his reputation among the uninformed as punishment was insane. It would be like sentencing a man and his entire extended family to death for failing to stop at a Stop sign when everyone else gets a $50 fine.

I am not gonna argue with you about it because it has been argued to death. I don't think his punishment was right. But I don't think his behaviour before and after was a little thing.

 

[trundler]

His conversion rate is insane. Has to be a level above the other great purple patches, surely.

 

[the big bambino]

I’m so pleased for him it’s like his my son. He was unfairly punished and by the same trash who pressured him into adopting the whatever it takes attitude. The booing from the crowds he’ll just have to cop but some of the newspaper criticism is so rancid you begin to think something is wrong with them. The level of vindictiveness and determination not to accept and forgive. Righteous refusal to maintain a fair perspective. To admit that what he was involved in has happened to every other country, convinces normal people that his critics are shallow and nasty characters and his punishment unjust. I wondered if he could come back and hopefully he will continue from here.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

It doesn't work that easily. You can't just look at their age and say "they will all be exactly this good for this amount of years". One of them might decline rapidly within a year, one might dominate for another 10. People aren't robots.

Yeah look at the 2013 England ashes team, easily won the home series and half the team were gone withing 6 months.

 

[vcs]

Yeah, obviously. We're all speculating here. The predictions of Smith ending with a 65+ career average and clear 2nd best is even more outlandish if you ask me. Recency bias.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I’m so pleased for him it’s like his my son. He was unfairly punished and by the same trash who pressured him into adopting the whatever it takes attitude. The booing from the crowds he’ll just have to cop but some of the newspaper criticism is so rancid you begin to think something is wrong with them. The level of vindictiveness and determination not to accept and forgive. Righteous refusal to maintain a fair perspective. To admit that what he was involved in has happened to every other country, convinces normal people that his critics are shallow and nasty characters and his punishment unjust. I wondered if he could come back and hopefully he will continue from here.

Is the stick the papers have given him as bad as the Aussie press gave Broad in 2013?

 

[the big bambino]

I’m not sure if it’s name but apparently that’s a rhetorical fallacy. Just because it happened doesn’t excuse what’s happening now. If you’re saying vengeance is ok then I suppose you have a point. Your boys are storing up a lot of bad karma for your next visit. Smith has done his time. More so than say Athers or the Murray mints ashes winning team. Time to clam it England.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I am not gonna argue with you about it because it has been argued to death. I don't think his punishment was right. But I don't think his behaviour before and after was a little thing.

Yeah well obviously "little thing" is entirely subjective. I'm talking about in context to the punishment and his treatment by crowds and the media. Otherwise it would be a meaningless statement.

I’m so pleased for him it’s like his my son. He was unfairly punished and by the same trash who pressured him into adopting the whatever it takes attitude. The booing from the crowds he’ll just have to cop but some of the newspaper criticism is so rancid you begin to think something is wrong with them. The level of vindictiveness and determination not to accept and forgive. Righteous refusal to maintain a fair perspective. To admit that what he was involved in has happened to every other country, convinces normal people that his critics are shallow and nasty characters and his punishment unjust. I wondered if he could come back and hopefully he will continue from here.

Same papers that celebrated the 2005 ball-tampering catalyzed ashes win no doubt. Incredible hypocrisy.

Semi srs

Yeah, obviously. We're all speculating here. The predictions of Smith ending with a 65+ career average and clear 2nd best is even more outlandish if you ask me. Recency bias.

Very possible

 

[trundler]

How many tons do you guys reckon he'll end up with? 35 at the least.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

How many tons do you guys reckon he'll end up with? 35 at the least.

All depends how long he plays for, you would think he could easily do 3/4 a year for the next 4 years but the year out may mean his body and mind can carry on longer than some players who retire or drop off in their early 30's and he carries on till his late 30's so could get 40/45.